SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For a non-roster free agent like right-hander Todd Wellemeyer, winning a spot on the club can be a crapshoot.

Or, in his case, calling bingo.

Any time Wellemeyer thinks about what he must do to impress Giants coaches this spring, the 31-year-old can flash back to the tryout that started it all.

A native of Louisville, Ky., he was set to enroll as a physics major at the University of Kentucky before a buddy encouraged him to throw for the coach at nearby Bellarmine University.

“The coach had me meet him in a gym, and when I walked in, it was full of card tables,” Wellemeyer said. “It was set up as a bingo hall, if you can believe it. I made 10 throws and the coach said, ‘All right, we’ll take you.'”

The coach offered a $1,000 scholarship — textbook money, really, for a school with an annual tuition bill of almost $20,000.

Wellemeyer’s father made the rest of the finances work. And Todd helped when he could.

“I found out you could earn $50 every Friday,” he said, “if you set bingo up.”

Wellemeyer kept adding velocity as he filled out. Before he knew it, there were dozens of scouts watching him pitch. The Cubs took him in the fourth round of the 2000 draft and he’s pitched for four major league teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals for the past 2﻿1/2 seasons.

He’s competing to make the Giants staff as an innings eater, either in long relief or as an alternative in case No.5 starter Madison Bumgarner, a 20-year-old rookie, shows he isn’t ready.

“It’s a need on this club, whether it’s as a long man or a fifth starter,” Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s an experienced right-hander. We’ll look for him to pitch the way he can.”

Wellemeyer, didn’t pitch to his potential in St. Louis last season, which is why the Giants were able to sign him to a minor league deal. He was 7-10 with a 5.89 ERA in 28 games (21 starts) and opponents hit .327 against him.

“It was like I had dead-arm the whole year,” Wellemeyer said. “And I was trying everything I could think of to compensate for it.”

The previous year was Wellemeyer’s breakthrough. He went 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA, held opponents to a .245 average and finished with more than two strikeouts per walk.

It was his first season as a full-time starter since he was a 21-year-old in A-ball. His 191﻿2/3 innings with the Cardinals blew away his previous high at any level.

“It caught up to me,” Wellemeyer said. “I’m sure of it. Now I’ve got to prove it wasn’t a fluke.”

So he hired a personal trainer that emphasized core work and mixed in some other interesting exercises, like running with a parachute.

Light showers resulted in another abbreviated workout Sunday, but catchers were able to mix in some time catching foul pops and fielding bunts. Buster Posey drew applause while making a sliding grab.

Position players aren’t required to report until Tuesday, but almost all of them had arrived in Scottsdale. Minor leaguers Conor Gillaspie and Wendell Fairley were the exceptions.

Tim Lincecum will start the Cactus League opener on March 3 and Bumgarner will follow him, Bochy said. Wellemeyer is expected to pitch the following day.